Music-leaf turner.



13. B. WATSON.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 26,1910.

1 74 ISLE-LE- g Zluuamto-v LE-MZSOW IRA E. WATSON, OF PLAINVIEW,NEBRASKA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 26, 1910.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Serial No. 594,372.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA E. VVA'rsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plainview, in the county of Pierce and State of Nebraska,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in music leaf turners and has forits object to provide a mechanism of this character which iscomparatively simple, efficient and positive in its operation and whichmay be con veniently arranged for turning sheet music arranged upon apiano or music stand.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a pluralityof leaf carrying arms, and treadle actuated means for swinging orrotating the arms to turn the music sheet by sheet.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means forreversing the movement of any one of the sheet carrying arms afterthesheet has been turned to return the sheet to its normal position so thatthe music written thereon can be repeated.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sheetmusic turning device embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;Fig. 1 is a section taken on the line 4-t of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of one of the sheet holders or clasps; and Fig. 6 is atransverse section thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawings 5 indicates a base upon one edge ofwhich an upright or standard 6 is mounted, braces 7 being secured to thestandard at its lower end and resting upon the floor or other supportingsurface. A music supporting frame comprising a central pivot rod 8 andthe sheet carrying frames 9 are arranged upon the upper end of thestandard 6, said standard being provided with a socket to receive thepivot rod 8, so that said rod and the sheet frames may be readilyremoved therefrom. The frames 9 are pivotally mounted upon the rod 8 andcarry suitable clasps 10 for securing the music sheets to the same. Uponthese clasps a depending pivoted finger 11 is arranged for movement inone direction.

A tube 12 is rotatably secured upon the upper end of the standard 6 inthe annular bands 13 and a longitudinally movable cylinder 14 is adaptedfor movement in said tube. This cylinder is formed upon the upper end ofa rod 15 and is disposed at a slight inclination thereto. The lower endof the rod 15 is pivotally connected to a foot treadle 16 which ismounted upon the base block 5. A spring 17 has one of its ends securedto the standard 6 and its other end to the rod 15 and normally acts toforce said rod upwardly, thereby also forcing the cylinder 14 into thetube 12. The cylinder 14:, it will be observed is provided in itsperiphery with a spiral groove 18 into which a stud 19 fixed to the wallof the tube 12 extends. Upon the tube 12 and between the annular bands18 a coiled spring 20 is disposed. One end of an arm 21 is extendedbetween the upper coils of the spring and said arm is movedlongitudinally of the tube in a slot 22 provided in the tube 12 by thespring 20. The upper end of the coiled spring 20 is laterally extendedand an operating wire 23 is connected thereto, the lower end of saidwire being secured to a foot treadle 24 which is also mounted upon thebase 5. It will be noted that the upper outer ends 21 of the arms 21 aredisposed in substantially parallel relation to the lower edges of thesheet carrying frames 9. I

In the operation of the device, the music sheets are placed in thepivotally mounted carrying frames 9, any number of which may beprovided. In the normal position of the parts, the extremity of the endportion 21 of the arm 21 is disposed behind the hinged finger 11 andwhen it is desired to turn a sheet from the right to the left, theoperator releases the foot treadle 16 by moving a catch 16 whichnormally holds the same upon the base and places the spring 17 undertension. This spring will then contract and force the rod 15 upwardlyand extend the cylinder 14 into the tube 12. The disposition of the pin19 in the spiral groove 18 of the cylinder will cause the tube 12 torotate in the supporting bands 18. The arm 21 is held in the upper endof the longitudinal slot 22 of the tube, by means of the spring 20 andwhen said tube rotates, it will be obvious that the arm will be carriedwith it which in turn will swing the sheet carrying frame upon the pivotrod 8 and move the same to the left so that the reverse side thereof canbe read by the musician. In order to turn the next succeeding sheet ofmusic, the operator simply presses down upon the treadle 16, therebyreversing the rotation of the cylinder 14 in the tube 12, the end of thearm 21 engaging the pivoted finger 11 and swinging the same so that saidarm moves behind the finger. The treadle 16 is then held upon the base 5so that when released, the next sheet of music will be turned. The hook25 has its extremity disposed below the pivoted finger 11 and extendedbeyond the same for engagement by the end of the arm 21 as will now bedescribed.

It is often necessary to repeat certain measures of music and for thispurpose means must be provided for returning the sheet to its normalposition. I accomplish the desired end by means of a hooked arm which iscarried by the sheet carrying frame 9 and is arranged adjacent to thehinged finger 11. As the arm 21 is disposed upon the same side of thehinged finger 11 in either position of the frame, in order to disengagethe arm therefrom and to engage it with the hook 25, the treadle 24 isforced downwardly which draws upon the wire 23 and forces the spring 20downwardly on the tube 12. This movement of the spring coils moves therod 21 in the slot of the tube and disposes its upper outer end belowthe finger 11 and in the hook 25. A suitable latch 2-4: is now movedover the foot treadle 24: to hold the same down. The operator then stepsupon the treadle 16 to move the cylinder 14; out of the lower end of thetube 12, thereby reversing the rotation of said tube and moving the armand the sheet carrying frame 9 from left to right.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation ofmy improved sheet music turning mechanism will be readily understood.The device is comparatively simple in construction and very positive inoperation. It may also be conveniently arranged in position withrelation to a music stand or piano by making minor changes in theconstruction of the piano or stand so as to readily adapt the turningdevice to such use. As but very few elements are employed in theconstruction it will be obvious that the device can be manufactured at alow cost and that it will also be extremely durable and highly eflicientin practical use.

While I have shown and described the preferred construction andarrangement of the various parts, it will be understood that the deviceis susceptible of considerable modification without departing from theessential feature or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a device ofthe character described, the combination with a support, a tuberotatably mounted on said support, a foot operated cam longitudinallymovable in the tube with relation thereto to rotate the tube, a studcarried by the tube cooperating with said cam to rotate said tube, anarm slidable on the tube and rotatable therewith, a sheet carrying framehaving means thereon for engagement by said arm whereby the frame andsheet are turned in one direction when the tube is rotated, means formoving the arm out of engagement with said last named means, andadditional means carried by the sheet carrying frames to be engaged bysaid arm to turn the frame and sheet carried thereby in the oppositedirection when said tube is reversely rotated.

2. The combination with a support, of a plurality of pivotally mountedsheet carrying frames removably arranged on the support, a tuberotatably mounted upon said support, a cylinder longitudinally movablein the tube provided with a spiral groove in its periphery, a stud fixedin the tube projecting into said grooi e, means for moving the cylinderin the tube whereby said tube is rotated in one direction, meanscontrolled by said last named means to force the cylinder in the tubeand rotate said tube in the opposite direction, an arm carried by thetube and movable thereon, a hinged element mounted on each of the sheetcarrying frames adapted to be separately engaged by said arm to turn theframe and sheet carried thereby in one direction, means for moving thearm longitudinally on the tube, and additional means carried by thesheet carrying frames for engagement by said arm whereby the frame andsheet carried thereby are returned to their normal positions in thereverse rotation of the tube.

3. The combination with a support, of a plurality of pivotally mountedsheet carrying frames removably arranged on the support, a tuberotatably mounted on said support, means for rotating said tube in onedirection, additional means for rotating the tube in the oppositedirection, an arm rotatable with the tube and movable upon the same, apivoted finger carried by each of the sheet carrying frames to beengaged by said arm whereby the frames are turned in one direction, acoiled spring arranged on the tube normally acting to retain the arm inengagement with said finger, a foot treadle connected to one end of thespring to com- In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my press the sameand move the arm on the tube signature in the presence of two Witnesses.below said pivoted finger, and a hook carried by the frame forengagement by the IRA E. WATSON. 5 arm whereby said frame and sheetcarried Witnesses:

thereby are returned to their normal posi- L. C. BARBOUR,

tion in the reverse rotation of said tube. M. E. MENDELSSOI-IN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

